Level control for washing machines



s- 1943- A. J. ROHR 2,326,067

LEVEL CONTROL FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed NOV. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n1 II IIIIIIINII a I A. 5 4,. r

INVENTOR. ALTON J. ROHR .Aug. 3, 1943. A. J. ROHR LEVEL ,CONTROL FOR WASHING MACHINES Fi led Nov. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Shegt 2 FIG. 2

FIG, 4

FIG. 3

INVENTOR. A TON J ROHR Patented Aug. 3,1943

UNITED, STATES. ;-PATE NT OFFICE LEVEIQCONTBOL FOR WASHING MACHINES Alton J; Bohr, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to The Prosperity Company, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 14, 1941, Serial No. 419,154 Claims. (01. 68-139) surges upwardly in the lower portion of the casing in the direction of rotation. I

' More specifically, the invention has for its object means operated by the average of the high and low pressures of the liquid during the surging, for closing the inlet valve when a predetermined quantity of water has fed into the casing during the operation of the drum or container. The pressure is high on one side and correspondingly low on the. other of the casing or on one side of a radial vertical plane containing the axis of the container. The high pressure side is that up which the liquid surges under the rotation oi the container. Usually the container is actuated through repeated cycles consisting of a given number. of turns in one direction and a given number of turns in the reverse direction. Hence the high pressure side is on one side of the-casing or said plane when the container is rotating in one direction, and on the other side when the'container is rotating in the reverse direction.

The invention has 'for its object means for equalizing the effect of these high and low pressures on pressure-operated means for controlling the closing of the inlet valve when a predetermined quantity of water is filled into the casing.

Theinvention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth-and claimed.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l of a modifled form of the'invention.

l designates the outer casing of a laundry washing machine, this being a horizontal cylinder. 2

designates a container for the articles or clothes to be treated or cleansed, this being mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis in the outer casing I. It is shown as mounted on a shaft 3 located eccentric in an upward direction relatively to the axis of the cylindrical casing i. This shaft is usually a trunnion at one or each end of the drum. A

Washing machines of this type, and also the actuating mechanism for rotating the drum are well known, and therefore a detail description thereof is thought to be unnecessary,

4 designates a dump valve; 5 an inlet pipe for a cleansing fluid opening into the upper portion oi the casing i, B designates an inlet valve in the pipe 5, this being normally closed, as by a spring I. It may be opened in any'suitable manner. It is here shown as operated by compressed air, and the valve for controlling the flow or compressed air as controlled to open the liquid inlet valve by a hand lever.

8 designates a feed line for the supply of a motive fluid, as compressed air, this having a valve 9 therein, which controls the flow of air through a pipe Hi to a diaphragm chamber it having a diaphragm l2 therein, which thrusts against a stem 13 to open the inlet valve 6 against the action of the spring 7. The valve 9 is of the combined intake and exhausttype and includes a a normally closed intake valve head it and a held in its normal position by a suitable spring l6. It is here shown as operated against the spring l6 by an electro-mag'net, as a solenoid ll;

In describing this invention,.reterence is had to the accompanying drawings, in which. like characters designatezcorresponding parts in all the views.

the core l8 of which thrusts against the exhaust valve head IE to close the exhaust valve head and open the intake valve head, when the solenoid is energized. The windings of the solenoid are con- Figure l is a fragmentaryend elevation, parts being omitted, of a washing machine embodying this invention and showing in section the inlet valve, one form of operating means therefor being also shown. l

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the washer through the pressure equalizing means for con- I trolling the operation of the inlet valve.

Figures 3 and 4 are operationviews on'a reduced scale similar to Figure 2. Q

nected in an electric circuit having a normally open snap switch IQ of any well known type. The switch is the control member for the inlet valve 6. The switch has an operating lever 21' which may be operated by hand to close the circuit and open the intake valve. To open the intake, valve, the operating lever 2| is moved to on position from.

the full line position to the dotted line position (Figure 1). When the switch is thrown into the dotted line position, the intake valve head It open and the exhaust valve head closed, so that trol member or the switch when the predetermined level is reached, or a predetermined quantity of liquid is received in the container, this operating means being operated by the average of the pressures on opposite sides of a vertical radial plane containing the axis of the container I when the container is rotating. When the container is rotating in one direction, as counterclockwise, in Figure 3, the pressure will be greater on the right hand side of said plane than on the left hand, and when the container reverses and rotates clockwise (Figure 4) the pressure will be greater on the right hand side .of said plane. The operating means for the opening of the switch or for closing the intake valve is controlled by the average of these high and low pressures.

This operating means comprises a pressureoperated member or motor, and means for transferring the average pressure to the pressure-operated means or motor. The pressureoperated motor is here shown as an expansible device, as a bellows 22, this'being known commercially as a Sylphon. The pressure created in the casing l is transferred to the member 22 through transfer pipes communicating with the lower part of the casing on opposite sides of a radial plane containing the axis of the container, and means in which air is compressed by the action or surging of the liquid in the casing, and the pressure transferred to the member or Sylphon 22.

. In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, 2-3 and 24 designate pipes communicating with the lower portion of the casing l on opposite sides of a radial plane containing the axis of the container 2 and leading from the casing substantially tangential to the lower portion thereto. 25 and 26 designate air compression chambers, in which the air is compressed by the action or surging of the liquid in the casing l, these being dome-shaped at their upper ends, and communicating through branch ,pipes 21 and 28 of a pipe 29 leading into one end of the bellows or Sylphon 22. These chambers 25, 26 are open at their lower ends-to receive theliquid from the pipes 23 and 24. As here shown, these chambers 25 and 26 are located in stand pipes 30, 3| which communicate with the outer ends of the pipes 23 and 24 respectlvely. The stand pipes are spaced apart from the periphery of the chambers 25, 26 and vented at,32 and 33 at their topsto the outer air. During the movement of the container 2 about its axis counterclockwise, as in Figure 3, and while the intake valve is open, the surging of the liquid in the casing l builds up a pressure in the dome of the chamber 26, while there is less pressure, ora drop in pressure in the chamber 25.- These high and low pressures are, however, equalized through the pipes 21 and 28, so that'the eiIective pressure on the Sylphon 22 through the pipe 29 is the average of these high and low pressures. As the quantity of water or liquid increases in the casing I, the pressure in the chambers 25 and 26 becomes. greater and approach each other and build u such pressure in the Sylphon 22 to overcome the resistance of the springs of the snap switch and open the switch [9; or the pressure in the member or bellows 22 gradually builds up great enough to overcome the springs of the-switch and eflect the snapping of the switch to off position. During the action or the surging of the liquid, some of the liquid surging in the stand pipes 30, 3| up around the chambers 25 and 26, and the air compressed in the stand 'pipes 30, 3! vents to the outer air through the vent openings 32 and 33. Thus, when a predetermined high level is reached, the intake valve is automatically closed. The desired level or quantity of liquid may be varied by varying the distance between the switch I9 and the Sylphon or bellows 22. As shown, the bellows 22 are provided with a stem or nose 34 which, as the bellows expand, engages a switch operating member or push button 35 and depresses the same until the spring of the snap switch mechanism is overcome. By varying the distance between the push button 35 and the nose 34, the timing of the throwing oil of the switch may be varied. For a higher level the distance is increased. To eifect this adjustable timing, the switch I9 is mounted on a shiftable carriage 36 shiftable, as by a manually operated worm 31 coacting with a worm or worm teeth on the carriage. The shifting of the lever is sets the push button to on" or ofi position,

In the form shown in Figure 5, 39 and 40 designate the equalizing pipes corresponding to the pipes 21 and 28, these communicating through a single pipe 4| with the lower end of a com pression chamber 42, the dome of which conimunicates through a pipe 43 with the bellows 22, the air compression chamber being located in the stand pipe 44 communicating with the pipe 4|. In the form shown in Figure 5, there is but one compression chamber and stand pipe, but ,the high and low pressures of the liquid. on opposite sides of the radial plane containing the axis of the container 2 are equalized through the pipes 39, 40 and the pressure so equalized or the average pressure effective in the single compression chamber 42.

In the form shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, in which there are two compression chambers 25, 28, the pressure of the air from the compression chambers is equalized through the pipes 21, 28. In either case, while the liquid is filling into the casing, and the container is moving about its axis, the intake valve is-closed by means'operated by the average of the high and low pressures in the opposite portions of said casing I.

What I claim is:

1. A liquid level control for washing machines of the type including an outer casing, a container rotatable about a horizontal axis in the casing and an inlet conduit for a cleansing fluid having a valve therein, means for opening saidvalve, and means for closing the valve when a predetermined level is-reached, said level control including a control member normally in one position when the valve is open and shiftable into a second position to close the valve, pressure-operated means for operating the control member into second position, upright air compressor chamber means, conduit means connecting the same and the pressure-operated means, enclosing means in which the chamber means is located, the enclosing means communicating through: .conduit means with the bottomportion of the having a valve therein, means for opening said valve, and means for closing the valve when a predetermined level is reached, said level control including a control member normally in one position when the valve is open and shiftable into a second position to close the valve, pressureoperated means for operating the control member into second position, upright air compressorchamber means, conduit means connecting the same and the pressure-operated means, enclosing means in which the chamber means is located, the enclosing means communicating through conduit means with the bottom portion of the casing of the washing machine on opposite sides of the vertical plane ofthe axis of the container.

3. A liquid level control for washing machines ofthe type including an outer casing, a container rotatable about a horizontal axis in the casing and an inlet conduit for a'cleansing fluid having a valve therein, means for opening said valve, and means for closing the valve, when a predetermined level is reached, said level control including a control member normally in one position when the valve is open and shiftable into a second position to close the valve, pressureoperated means for operating the control member into second position, a stand pipe located with its lower end on approximately the level of the bottom portion of the casing, a substantially horizontal conduit connecting the lower end of the stand pipe and the bottom portion of the casing, an air pressure chamber in the stand pipe opening thereinto at its lower end, and a conduit connecting the upper end of the air compressor chamber and said pressure-operated means.

4. A liquid level control tor washing machines of the type including an outer casing, a container rotatable about a horizontal axisin the casing and an inlet conduit for a cleansing fluid having a valve therein, means for opening said valve, and means for closing the valve, when a p edetermined level is reached, said level control including a control member normally in one position when the valve is open and shiftable into a second position to close the valve, pressure-operated means for operating the control member into second position, a stand pipe located with its lower end at approximately the level of the bottom portion of the casing, conduit means connecting the lower. end of the stand pipe and the bottom portion of the casing on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the axis of the container, an air compressor chamber in the stand pipe and opening thereinto at its lower end, and a conduit connecting the upper end of the air compressor chamber and said pressure-operated means.

5. A liquid level control for washing machines of the type including an outer casing, a container rotatable about a horizontal axis 'in the casing and an inlet conduit for a cleansing fluid having a valve therein, means for opening said valve,

and means for closing the valve, when a predetermined level is reached, said level control including a control member normally in one position when the valve is open and shiftable into a second position to close the valve, pressure-operated means for operating the control member into second position, a pair of stand pipes ar-'- ranged with their lower .ends at approximately the level of the bottom portion of the casing, horizontal conduits connecting the lower ends of the stand pipes and the casing on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the axis of the container, air compresser chambers located in the stand pipes and opening at their lower ends thereinto respectively, and conduits connecting the upper ends of the air compressor chambers and the pressure-operated means.

ALTON J. ROHR; 

